Crossing Lines
by CantarellaKisses
Summary: [Sequel to If I Weren't a Shinobi] they have crossed lines, jumped back over, repainted said lines vigorously, and still there are unresolved issues to deal with.
1. Preview: Control

**Crossing Lines **

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I wouldn't be sitting here writing about how I'd want it to turn out, would I?

Summary[Sequel to "If I Weren't a Shinobi" they have crossed lines, jumped back over, repainted said lines vigorously, and still there are unresolved issues to deal with.

Preview: Control

* * *

TenTen was fit to burst at any point now, and it was all Neji's fault. 

Okay, to be fair and somewhat objective, you can't _entirely_ blame the object of your affections for falling in love with them. Just sort of.

But really, Neji was entirely too good at acting as though…_that _had never happened. Like they had never kissed each other senseless and completely dismissed the shinobi code of conduct and enjoyed every damn minute of it. Yes, she realized that they had agreed (even if it wasn't aloud) that they never _would_ acknowledge the fact that it had happened. That they had crossed the line and then they had jumped right back over, and then added a few more layers of paint to make it all the more clear. But it didn't mean that Neji's unchanged attitude towards the kunoichi wasn't utterly infuriating.

Still, whenever TenTen saw Neji, be it at work; in passing; during briefings, she could feel the emotions roiling around inside of her. It felt as though her skin was expanding to accommodate the mixture of things inside her head, and it was an interesting sensation—that odd combination between adrenaline high, excitement, and mild pain. And she would have to consciously reign herself in. Take a subtle deep breath, concentrate on returning to normal size, and filter out background noise.

It was all she could do sometimes to prevent herself from grabbing the infuriatingly-attractive stoic bastard and kissing him out of his right mind.

Yes, she was completely in control of herself.

* * *

Neji was going to cave in one of these days and he was going to whole-heartedly blame the bun-headed kunoichi he worked with for it. 

Not only was she ridiculously attractive in all her violent, precise, pointy, combative, intelligent, enticing glory, she was a good actor.

Scratch it, a great actor.

He saw her several times a week; mostly through their ANBU work and in passing; and every time she acted as though nothing between them had happened. If Neji still wasn't imagining the way she tasted when she kissed him (she was great at that too, damnit), he would almost believe that he had been dreaming.

He just wished that there would be a little glint in her eye when she looked at him; anything to hint that she remembered that night as well as he did. But no, each and every time—emptiness. Why did he have to fall in love with the singularly most talented and infuriating kunoichi in the village?

Hell, he knew the reason; because she was TenTen, and TenTen was wonderful and gorgeous and everything he could want in all her violent, precise, pointy, combative, intelligent, enticing glory.

Yes, they were totally in control of themselves.

* * *

There it is. My preview/teaser for a series that I will (hopefully -crosses fingers-) finish. So many people asked for a sequel series/oneshot en lieu of my "If I Weren't a Shinobi" piece. I was so flattered. Now, I have to feed myself before I starve (WON'T ANYBODY GROCERY SHOP IN THIS HOUSE??). 


	2. Line 1: Traits and Training

**Crossing Lines**

Disclaimer: Again, I wouldn't waste my life imagining how I would like it to go if I owned it.

Summary: In the preview, the one right before this one. Go read it yourself.

Line 1: Traits and Training

* * *

Neji was a Hyuuga in all meanings of the word. He had the distinctive pale eyes, the traditionally-worn long hair, traditional robes (when not bedecked in ANBU gear), prodigal skills in battle, and most importantly, the air of a stoic bastard. 

Hyuugas were renowned for their apparent disdain of anything they deemed weak or unnecessary. Perfectly composed (and groomed), they strode about in a confident manner and do not sink to even the slightest level below them. Hence, the stoic bastardiness.

Neji had found this to be quite helpful for most of his life. After the loss of his father at such a young age, it was convenient that people just assumed it was the Hyuuga traits showing themselves within his personality when he stopped conversing with people and smiling unnecessarily. It meant that he really didn't have to explain himself or relive any of the horrors of his childhood. Indeed, many of them continued (and still continue) into his teenage years. He found that when you are expected to be cold and unwilling to open oneself up to anyone because of family, it is so much easier to create a shield around oneself to prevent future hurt.

It was also useful when it came to new feelings. For example, when he realized his stomach had taken up gymnastics after he had been on the same cell with TenTen for a year, it was relief that he could always fall back on one-word sentences so he wouldn't say something stupid in front of the girl.

And, in the same respect, it was a bloody nuisance.

Not only was he perceived as totally out of character if he so much as cracked a smile, his family would look even further down upon him if he were to openly be affectionate (or as affectionate as Neji can get) to TenTen. _Hugging _was like a freaking crime in his family. Seriously, sometimes he couldn't figure out how the hell his male relatives had actually found someone to marry—they were bigger ice-blocks than he was!

With all this in mind, it would be safe to say that Neji was stuck between a rock, a hard place, and something akin to a very spiny cactus. He wanted to be with TenTen, but he didn't want to further screw up his home life. He wanted to still be perceived as a capable Hyuuga, but he wanted to say 'screw you' to the elders and marry an outsider. And we're not even going to get started on what Neji was thinking when you throw the whole 'I-am-a-shinobi' factor into the equation. Ye gods.

* * *

Step. 

Leap.

Throw.

Hit.

Land.

Step.

Leap.

Throw.

Hit.

Land.

Glare.

Pointed Glare.

Searing Glare.

…Glare…

TenTen was fed up now. She'd been leaping about and chucking all manner of pointy death-tools at training stumps for two hours now, and she was still as screwy in the head as she had been when she'd started. Training to distract yourself—feh!

The truth of the matter was it was her second and last day of free time Tsunade had given her after she and Neji had returned to Konoha, and it sucked. Not only had she grocery shopped and cleaned her little apartment top to bottom, but she'd also rearranged her furniture (twice!), and she was still thinking about Neji.

It almost made her want to punch people in the face. Really now, was it too much to ask to be granted a moment's rest from (really, _really _nice) memories? All she wanted to do was get on with her life and not feel the need to glomp Neji whenever she saw him.

That was a lie, she also wanted to kill Neji's fangirls and buy a new tanto.

And she didn't want to acknowledge the _very _familiar chakra presence behind her, approaching fast.

Getting closer…

Closer still…

Arrived…

Stupid Neji. Always popping up when least wanted.

"I see you've totally disregarded Hokage-sama and trained on your day off anyways." TenTen turned to face her old teammate. She huffed and offered him a sarcastic smile, accompanied by a perfectly raised eyebrow.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment, seeing as it's coming from Konoha's resident train-aholic." She said smoothly before using her chakra strings to retrieve her pointy death-tools. She saw Neji raise an eyebrow in her peripheral vision.

"Compliment or not, you're still out here when you should be in there," he said calmly while he nodded his head in the direction of her apartment.

"I notice you're nowhere near the Hyuuga Compounds yourself," she retorted effortlessly as she turned to face him. "You're just as guilty as I am. I am willing to bet a shuriken set that you were heading here to train before you got distracted by me." Neji's eyes narrowed briefly. Oh yeah, new shuriken set.

"I'm not giving you a new shuriken set; I didn't agree to the bet." Damn.

* * *

Neji forcefully maimed his inner thoughts with his Gentle Fist Technique when TenTen mentioned his being distracted by her. The girl was intuitive at all the wrong times. She didn't need to know that he had originally planned to train in the clearing next to hers and not in this one… 

He let a breath out through his nose before surveying the mutilated stumps. His sensitive eyes could differentiate between the cuts they had received in the past and the ones from today's training rounds. TenTen was diligent.

"Do you want to practice too?" TenTen asked. He glanced at her. She was still in her throwing stance; a kunai in one hand, and three shuriken in the other.

He briefly considered the idea of turning her down because he would only accept because he wanted to stay. Then he decided that it was his day off and he was entitled to a regret-free afternoon. He nodded and pulled out his own weapons before standing with his back to her as she resumed her aerial attacks upon the targets.

One afternoon together wouldn't kill them. Unless they mistook each other for tree stumps, or course.

* * *

Gaaaa-AH! I am really displeased with this first chapter. I guess because I've been on semi-writer's block, meaning I've got some vague ideas that might be passable, but I can't seem to do them justice, but I can't _not _be writing at this point. So, I hope it was alright. 


	3. Line 2: ConSensual

**Crossing Lines**

Summary: Again! It's in the preview, the very first installment. Top of the list. First one after the title link. Says 'preview'…

Disclaimer: CK + ownership disaster

Line 2: Con-Sensual

* * *

The Konoha Public Library was a rather useless place when it came to deciphering common words, TenTen learned upon her second day back to work after her time off. 

She was currently sitting at a small faux-wooden table during her lunch hour, surrounded by encyclopedias, almanacs, and dictionaries. Really, all she needed were the dictionaries, but it couldn't hurt to have back up.

"Consecration…consecution…consecutive…consecutively…consensual!" TenTen eagerly placed her finger next to the last word and read the definition under her breath.

"Existing or made by mutual consent without an act of writing…involving or based on mutual consent." She frowned and chewed her bottom lip copiously as she copied it down on a piece of lined paper next to her. "That's not very helpful," she muttered darkly. She thumbed backwards through the C section, looking for another word.

"Okay, 'con': definition 4; an argument or evidence in opposition; the negative position or one holding it." She copied that down as well, underneath the first word. She then lifted a chunk of the dictionary's pages and skipped to the S section. "Sensual…relating to or consisting in the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of appetite; devoted to or preoccupied with the senses or appetites; deficient in moral, spiritual, or intellectual interests," she copied these passages too, all the while frowning and methodically shredding her lip with her teeth.

She changed tracks and leafed through the other volumes scattered about her work surface. But neither the almanacs nor encyclopedias had any light to shed upon her wonderings.

_This doesn't make any sense,_ her mind whispered. _The prefix 'con' and the word_ _'sensual' should, when combined, translate literally as something like 'against the gratification of the senses'. But they don't, they mean 'mutual consent.'_ She set the pencil down upon her paper and rubbed her temples, attempting to ward off the impending headache.

_What on earth is my problem? I'm acting like a child; looking up the word 'consensual' because I think it will answer my question of __why__ Neji and I allowed what occurred between us to happen. _She angrily snapped every open book in front of her shut and gathered them into her arms to return to their respective shelves. _It happened because we agreed; consensual. We also agreed it wasn't going to happen again. That is that. _She quietly shredded her work paper and deposited the scraps in a wastebasket. Her pencil was returned to the cup it was borrowed from at the front desk, and she nodded to the librarian before striding out the door, back to the Hokage's building.

She arrived quickly and quietly, slipping through the doors in front and down a staircase that only a select few used. It led her into the hallway and she turned right at the T-formation in front of her. The locker room for female ANBU was empty when she stepped inside; the others were still out for their last quarter-hour of the lunch break. TenTen quietly unlocked the cold metal box with her mask's picture on it and slipped into her uniform, slipping the mask on as she finished and stepped into the hallway. She was mildly surprised to see Neji alight upon the underground landing as she neared the middle of the hallway.

He turned to face her, his hair swinging silently across his shoulders.

"TenTen," it wasn't a question, statement, or demand; simply an acknowledgement.

"Hyuuga," she replied in the same blasé tone. She knew it was proper conduct to greet fellow ANBU by their last name. Secrecy and such. Her not having one just threw a small wrench in that guideline.

She stepped around him, heading for the stairs. Expecting him to move forward, she was almost startled out of her wits when she felt his hand brush the place just above her right hip; a sensitive spot on her body that only someone who knew her well--_or knew from personal experience--_would know to touch.

Neither made a move to alert the other to the action, and Neji turned left toward the locker rooms for male ANBU as TenTen climbed the stairs. Her skin simultaneously burned and shivered where his fingers had brushed through the material of her uniform, and her one thought was

* * *

Well, that's the third installment. Whoopee. Comments/ideas are welcomed if any of you have epiphanies, because my brain keeps shorting out on me. 


	4. Line 3: Payback is Bittersweet

**Crossing Lines**

Holy freaking frick on a stick, I'm sorry guys! If anyone here has been following this series and noticed I haven't updated in forever, I apologize for any resulting arrhythmias. School started, and this year is being a bitch. Pardon the French. But seriously, I have NO LIFE outside of school, and I'm not exaggerating. It's gotten to the point where I don't know why I haven't keeled over of exhaustion yet. So, to get to the point, I'M NOT DEAD YET. (Baklava to anyone who can place the original context of that quote).

Baklava: totally kick-ass Middle Eastern dessert of glazed puff pastry baked to freaking flaky perfection with a DAMN DELICIOUS filling in the middle.

Summary: Just go with me here, I'm typing as I think, so this might be considered a random scene in the story that may or may not have later plot-progressing value.

Agh, ya know what? Screw it. Matahari, Cyberwolf, this chapter goes out to you two!

Line 3: Payback is Bittersweet

* * *

Neji Hyuuga was currently striding purposefully about Konoha, ignoring the stares, swoons, and admiring children that seemed to follow in his wake. 

Neji Hyuuga was on a mission; find TenTen and pass the message along that she was to report to Tsunade.

He was expecting to find her at her usual training ground, the one covered in pockmarks and kunai marks and shuriken marks and katana marks…you get the idea. He was expecting to find her practicing her weapons skills.

A few moments later, he heard the tell-tale echoes of trees being punctured by multiple sharp things and the accompanying pants of someone working hard. Neji ducked under a few tree branches, hopped over a long, avoided several traps, and stood as TenTen continued practicing in the clearing, oblivious to him.

She was in nothing but her ANBU-issued pants and a form-fitting tank top, black, to match the pants. Her hair was in its customary buns. Sweat trickled over the contours of her biceps, collarbone, cheeks, and the back of her neck down to her shoulders. She glared dangerously at whatever hidden enemies she envisioned, suddenly leaping into the air and propelling herself to and fro using chakra-powered feet. Neji observed, impressed, as she launched herself in to a new routine; a complicated set of midair leaps, combined with Taijutsu, shadow clones, and flexibility-challenging moves.

_She's obviously been practicing._

Soon, she abandoned shadow clones and switched to chakra strings. Neji had to admit, he'd never seen anyone utilize them the way she was; concentrating them into the tips of her fingers to attach to the ends of her weapons, she was able to puppeteer them back to her, jerking them to fly different paths, change suddenly, and settle into new projectile paths. She was like an impenetrable whirlwind, and she was still flipping, spinning, and attacking in midair.

Neji was so caught up in admiring her acrobatic feats that he completely forgot that her weapons were flying _everywhere. _

A shuriken came whizzing directly towards his neck, the chakra string not yet connected to the end. He was about to duck away when he caught sight of TenTen switching directions to chase the metal object as she cut off the chakra supply to her fingers, her other weapons falling to the earth below her.

She made no move to extend her hand to the shuriken, instead, she made like she was going to outrun it to the tree it was whizzing towards. The one behind Neji.

Neji noticed this all in less than a split second, which is why he was caught totally off-guard and subsequently tackled to the ground by the weapons-mistress-turned-acrobat.

His breath escaped him in a whoosh (ninjas don't scream…) as his back collided with the firm soil and grass beneath him. TenTen went down with him, her arms clutching his shoulders, legs landing on either side of his, her body pressed flat against him on impact. He registered her cheek smooshing into the point between the inner edges of his collarbones.

They lay that way for a moment, allowing their brains to settle in their heads from the sudden position shift. TenTen squirmed on top of Neji as her world came back into focused. Neji stiffened.

"Wha…?" the woman began as she lifted her head to look upward at the man she was currently lying on top of.

Her lips connected with the patch of skin at the juncture of Neji's chin and neck. Her breath ghosted over the point and the man nearly died (of shock? Of happiness?) when he felt her lips shift to form words.

"Neji?" He nodded dumbly, regretting (or enjoying) when that put _that spot _back in contact with her lips.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you, and I wanted to see if I could outrun that shuriken, and, geez, here…"

She continued rambling her apologies as she shifted to sit on his hips, then push herself to her feet. She bent down and helped him to stand (he was moving a bit sluggishly, for whatever reason).

"God, I'm sorry. I should have been paying more attention. It's just I've been working on that technique and I was concentrating _extremely _hard." She looked up at Neji and furrowed her brows apologetically.

"It's okay." Neji secretly congratulated himself because his voice came out normally. "I should have let you know I was here."

TenTen smiled and brushed past him to retrieve the shuriken who'd caused so much trouble, which was now embedded in a tree. "So," she started as she tugged the [damned troublesome object out of the bark "What can I do for you?"

_A whole lot…_"Tsunade-sama requests your presence in her office as soon as possible," Neji stated blandly as he attempted to kick the crap out of his inner lecher.

TenTen turned back to him, brushed past him _again,_ and went about retrieving all the other weapons in the clearing.

"Thanks, Neji. Whoops, I mean, _Hyuuga_." She said, her voice dropping a few octaves as she stressed his last name in an attempt to cover up her slip of tongue, now that she wasn't distracted by the fact she was sprawled on top of him. Neji blinked slowly, attempting to think of cold showers, cold ice-cubes, cold ground, cold metal…whatever. It was hot, why was it hot? It was afternoon, yes, that's it.

"Well, I'll just be leaving now. I have other things to attend to." Neji stated coolly. TenTen turned and nodded to him, turned back around, and continued gathering her things. Neji turned and practically fled the scene. If you could consider purposefully striding fleeing.

_Am I being punished for something I did? This is for that stairwell incident, isn't it?! This is payback for that. Payback is bitter._

* * *

TenTen waited until she could no longer feel Neji's chakra signature before bursting into hysterical laughter. 

Not only had she managed to land her lips on what she _knew _was a huge sensitive spot on Neji, she had felt him react too! She was congratulating herself on a job well done; her acting wasn't too bad either.

She should have thought of that routine years ago!

_Payback is sweet._

* * *

And there you have it. Totally un-proof-read in all its "Quick-I-need-to-post-something!" glory. Enjoy it while you can folks, this is the pervy-est I'll ever be. GIVE ME IDEAS, DAMNIT. 


	5. Line 4: Aggravation

Crossing Lines

**Crossing Lines**

Yes, I'm a horrible person, I haven't updated in who-knows-how-long. I blame my educational system.

* * *

TenTen hoofed it over to Tsunade's office as soon as she was done gathering her partners in crime from her training area. As she entered the small paneled office, she noted that a stiff-backed Neji was waiting in front of Tsunade's desk. His eyes focused entirely on a point beyond the Hokage's shoulder, so he missed TenTen's conspiratorial smirk.

Tsunade put down her jug of sake, then picked it back up and wiped what spilled on her papers before placing it under her desk where Shizune wouldn't be able to see it.

"Hyuuga, TenTen, I know that you are both supposed to have a two-week rest period since both of your last respective successes in the field, but we're a little short on pairs that are experienced in working with each other, so I'd like you two to do a favor for me. The Hidden Village of the Mist has invited two ANBU from each other village to compete in a tournament of sorts that is for the purposes of determining that the ANBU from the other hidden villages on friendly terms are at similar levels for maximum efficiency in war-time."

TenTen nodded "You think it's suspicious," Tsunade snorted. "Of course. Who does that? Anyways, we have reason to believe that this is something either Orochimaru or the Akatsuki have cooked up, so I want you two to pose as the team entering form Konoha and do some reconnaissance work. Report back to me when you have something or you think you need back-up."

TenTen and Neji nodded in unison. "When are we leaving?" Neji asked.

"Two days from now. I don't have to remind you two not to mention this to Shizune, right?" Tsunade said as she raised both her eyebrows and the poorly hidden sake bottle. They both nodded and turned to leave.

"Oh, and don't tell anyone where you're going or what you're doing!" She shouted to their backs as they left.

* * *

That evening, Neji prepared his uniform and chose a few select weapons he wished to take along with him. He showered and prepared for dinner with his clan. As he changed into the Hyuuga version of civilian clothes, there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he called as he finished tying back his hair. Hanabi deftly slipped through the door, smiling like a pleased cat. Neji didn't really like cats.

"So, you're leaving in two days?" She said.

"I take it you've been eavesdropping on conversations with Uncle Hiashi again," Neji deadpanned at her. She just shrugged one shoulder in a non-committal manner as she pretended to be interested in his minimalist décor.

"Are you going with TenTen?" she asked, pretending to fix her hair in the mirror. Neji still saw her smirk.

"Why do you insist on wasting breath on questions you know the answer to?" Neji said as he stepped into the hall. She followed and chuckled. "Because it's funny." Neji rolled his eyes and strode down the hall, Hanabi shadowing him.

As they entered the dining hall and settled themselves at their respective seats, Neji sensed a sort of anticipating air from the Hyuuga household as a whole. He sipped the tea he was served, ignoring a niggling feeling that something unpleasant was going to take place.

As the dinner progressed, the niggling feeling grew until his Uncle finally cleared his throat, effectively silencing the entire household, and turned to Neji.

"Nephew, the clan had a meeting while you were out. We've reached the conclusion that if you don't become at least engaged within two years, we will have no choice but to select a bride ourselves." He announced.

Neji put down the chopsticks he had been using, careful not to let them clack loudly against his plate. He arranged his hands on either side of his placemat at eyed his Uncle apathetically.

"That is the only requirement? Aside from the given ones that she be from a notable family and be of good character, et cetera?" He said flatly. Hiashi nodded, and Neji didn't miss the brief narrowing of his eyelids.

"So you've agreed then," he stated. Neji nodded. "Good, then that's settled, we won't have to worry about you delaying any further." Neji nodded again, and added "But I request permission to be allowed to continue my full-time career as a shinobi." Hiashi nodded stiffly before returning to his meal, effectively ending the discussion.

* * *

TenTen went through her pack one more time to ascertain she would be absolutely prepared to leave in two days' time. As she finished mentally tallying her items, she heard the faint bing! of the microwave. She turned and strode into her kitchen, pulling out a fork on her way to the microwave with which to eat her left-over stir-fry.

She sat on one of two bar stools at her counter, her version of a table. Aimlessly going through her mail and making a list of groceries she needed with her left hand, she ate with her right, taking precise and measured bites.

Her mind wandered at the mindlessness of her actions. After covering the topics of "Why are we here?", "Have I done my laundry?", and "I wonder if Shizune found that sake jug?", her mind turned to Neji. Or the lack there-of.

Her browns sank pointedly over her nose. That bastard hadn't so much as smiled at her since the night he'd nearly sucked her face off. Granted, they'd both known and agreed that's how things would be, but she'd decided to act as she always had. He, however, seemed to think that freezing up more would somehow make everything go away. And she was sure that some of their co-workers were noticing the colder-than-usual demeanor he was projecting.

Her lips curled back as she sank further into the thought. Was he really trying to forget everything that had happened? She may not be anxious to repeat if (from purely a professional standpoint), but she sure as hell wasn't going to forget it. Could he really have just used her to get some sexual tension out of his system? She growled lowly. Should that have been the reason, there were plenty of other Neji-fangirls that would die to have him touch them. He could have gone to one of them.

Her face relaxed into an expression of resigned knowledge then. She knew as well as he that he was going about it the right way. Bringing it up, ever, would jeopardize not only their jobs and reputations, but his standing in his intricate, brutal clan. Intellectually, she knew that this was right. Emotionally (which she admitted shouldn't even be a factor), she only wanted some reassurance it had meant as much to him as it did to her.

She washed her bowl and strode back into her bedroom, allowing herself one last check of her supplies before toppling onto her futon to sleep.

* * *

Ze End! Joking, joking. I'll get more done…soon, I think.


	6. Line 5: Dampness

CTL

Line 5:

Shortly before departing, TenTen opted to purchase a scone from an early-opening (by shinobi standards) bakery as a final treat before her above-water swimming trip in the Mist. She ran into Lee, looking like his usual youthful guacamole escaped from the bowl-cut of his hair.

"TenTen, how determined you look this morning!" He threw his hands in the air as if to accentuate the statement. TenTen smiled at the familiar exuberance, noting how much more tolerable it was on the smaller scale as opposed to the daily exposure when they were a cell.

"Lee, what are you doing up so early? Going to run 500 laps? Do pushups until Sakura accepts your invitation to dinner?" Lee grinned wider, if possible, and TenTen worried for the elasticity of his lips.

"No, my fair flower! I was hoping to see you!" TenTen quirked her eyebrows. "How would you know I'd be here?" Lee pulled a chair out for her at the little wire tables outside the front window.

"You typically stop here before a mission, and I noted you and our fair teammate Neji exiting the Hokage-sama's office recently, so I figured you'd show up here eventually. I kept an eye out on my daily 200 lap wake-up routine." TenTen shook her head and laughed. Whatever could be said of Lee's boisterousness usually did little justice to the gear-turning the really went on behind the scenes. She'd learned quickly not to accidentally let important personal information slip, or else it would bite her in the butt later, and she was afraid to turn green from a transmission of youthfulness that might result.

"Okay, so what do you need, now that you've achieved your goal of catching me with a scone?" She bit into it as if to prove her point, and Lee smiled, but in such a way as to seem serious, something she was sure he perfected purposely.

"TenTen, I mean no insult and no harm, but I remember once you mentioned you've lived alone since around the time we became Chuunin?" He spoke measuredly, careful not to inflect nosey-ness nor pity. TenTen swallowed and debated being elusive, but she couldn't see an ulterior motive to be afraid of.

"Yes, that's right. My father died around that time, on an ANBU mission. My mother died when I was very young, some sort of illness. As you know, I've got no clan of my own, so I lived by myself." She thought she saw some cogs shifting behind his eyes.

"Do you have no relatives?" "None that I know of. My parents were immigrants, my father told me, from another country. I don't think either of them came from particularly good or bad households, and figured moving elsewhere might provide them with more opportunities than being simple farmers or craftsmen. I know nothing about any family I might have." She reflected, not for the first time, that though it seemed a pitiable thing to other people with families, she'd come to find this afforded her with a lot more freedom. And a profession.

Lee nodded solemnly. "What's the interest, anyhow?" She said as she bit into her scone. Lee steepled his fingers and looked sideways, in thought. "Neji," he said, "has been given an ultimatum about marriage." Lee continued on despite TenTen's widening eyes. "I overheard Hinata speaking with Kiba. It seems that this is about the age where clan heirs are told to begin thinking about marriage and offspring, from what I understand of his reaction to the news. I know for a fact that the Hyuuga would expect Neji to marry a woman of a notable family, preferably not with a blood-line limit that might conflict with their own."

TenTen set her scone down deliberately. "Lee, while I am in admiration of your reconnaissance abilities, what does this have to do with my own background?" Even as she asked the question she could see where it was heading. Lee grinned, this time more typically. "Why, because you have no blood-line limit! While you appear to not come from much of a family, per se, I'm sure that the clan would make an exception. I know that they respect you, as the last time we three were all at the compound together they did not try to forcefully eject _you_." Lee said, laughing.

TenTen glared pointedly at him. "And you are trying to play matchmaker because...?" she prompted. Lee gave her the closest he'd ever come to a pitying look. "TenTen, do not think that I don't see how he acts towards you. Or you towards he. He respects no one else as highly as you. Besides," he continued on despite her attempt to interrupt him "he's been very cold lately and I surmise it is because he is attempting to suppress his response to you."

TenTen recovered herself from the shock by stuffing the scone in her mouth. "Thath prepothterouth," she lisped. Lee rolled his eyes.

"TenTen, my blossom, you may be a weapons specialist and a force to be reckoned with, but you are also human. So is Neji, for that matter, despite whatever ice block theories you may have." With that, he stood and announced he had fifty more laps to run and a good, youthful day to you!

Where traveling in Konoha required the ability to filter out one's own consciousness of their flesh apparently melting, traveling towards the Mist required a waterproof tarp. Unfortunately, Neji found that was not something which he owned nor would have wanted to lug around, and TenTen opted of chanting random words in her head over and over until she wasn't aware of her moldiness anymore.

They'd been traveling for four solid days, and the terrain had quickly changed from their beloved leafy forest to damp, dark and mossy. Fortunately, the mist provided visual cover for what it lacked in audial secrecy, and the native shrubs were never pruned and thus provided decent rain coverage as well as hideouts should they need it. They had quickly cobbled together a suitable system of traveling until thoroughly soaked, ducking under a shrub long enough to dry themselves slightly and exchange any observations, then plunging onwards. They took turns leading, and by the time what seemed to be nightfall (who could tell when everything was always dim anyways) rolled around, they surmised they were about a day's journey from the village.

TenTen ducked under the shrub first, and immediately set about unpacking the essentials she would need tonight to air out to what measure they could. Neji took charge of rationing out their evening meal and pulling out the maps.

TenTen alighted on a rock next to Neji and accepted her cold food. "Stupid wetness makes tinder a wishful thought," she commented tiredly. Neji hned. They debated strategy throughout the meal before settling on a game plan and tucking the maps away. TenTen lay down a waterproof sleeping mat on the driest patch of ground she could find, careful to leave room for Neji, before slipping into her sleeping bag to warm up. Neji followed suit and laid on his back.

He promptly got rain dripped on his nose by the shrub. He glared at it as he wiped the moisture away. TenTen chuckled.

"What kind of woman do you want to marry?" TenTen figured Neji liked direct approaches anyways. Despite their mission, she new they would compartmentalize the conversation while they were working.

Neji quirked his eyebrow at her. "You know," he said, not bothering to deny it. TenTen shrugged. "A large green bird told me." Neji narrowed his eyes. "He really is smarter than he lets on. It's unnerving at times." TenTen nodded, then looked at him expectantly.

"Well," he huffed "I've been given two years to at least become engaged or else I simply accept whatever brood-mare they toss my way." TenTen rolled her eyes at his breakdown of the situation, but admitted his description of his future wife was probably accurate. "So I shall at least try to find someone I find mostly agreeable, seeing as I'll have to be in close enough proximity to produce offspring a handful of times." His expressionless face made the statement ludicrously blase. "And if that doesn't work," he continued "I'll hope Hiashi has the same idea and chooses along those lines."

TenTen snorted despite the thinly hidden bitterness the statement carried. Her own reaction hadn't been one she'd expected. True she'd prepared to hear it out of his mouth, but she'd thought she would feel more pain from it. Instead, she felt a sort of hollow pang, as though she'd tapped the inside of a large gong and then grabbed the sides to deaden the sound.

"So, you have any future brides in mind?" She asked with more playfulness than she felt. It seemed she only wanted to sleep now. Neji blew some air annoyedly from his nostrils. "No, there isn't anyone I know who isn't spoken for or doesn't have a bloodline trait that might prove problematic with mine. And also is from a family that is suitable for Hiashi-sama." He said the honorific with all the respect he felt for his uncle, which is to say not much.

TenTen nodded. "But Lee told you something," Neji said. She grinned. "Who is smarter than they let on?" She ignored his glare. "Yes, he pointed out to me that I lack a bloodline limit and while I don't come from a family at all, that at least means I can't come from a bad one." She figured the honesty would at least clear the air in her head. Now she could never say that she didn't put the offer out there, if not obliquely. But Neji was smart so he'd figure out where Lee (she, maybe) was going.

Neji seemed surprised, or at least his face didn't move for a split-second. He blinked and even though his eyes lacked clearly differentiated irises and pupils, TenTen could tell he wasn't watching her anymore, but something farther away. TenTen waited for a few minutes. Finally, he looked at her again. "My clan," he said in a low voice "would never appreciate you properly." He turned on his back and then to his other side, effectively ending the conversation.

"I'll take first watch then." TenTen murmured as she sat up in her sleeping bag.


End file.
